» Outrage over UK police move to go soft on Muslim extremists to prevent further radicalization

Outrage over UK police move to go soft on Muslim extremists to prevent further radicalization

Published: Saturday, July 11, 2009, 15:44 [IST]

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London, July 11 (ANI): In a bid to stop Muslim extremists from becoming more militant, the UK Government is set to issue a guideline for police, directing them not to charge them in many hate crime cases, a move that has created outrage amongst critics.

Guidelines will tell forces to press for conviction only in cases of clear-cut criminal acts, and refrain from proceeding when evidence of lawbreaking is "borderline."

Officers will be advised to turn a blind eye on crimes such as incitement to religious hatred or viewing extremist material on the Internet.

"For instance, where there has been incitement or someone has been on the internet there can be a grey area where there is some discretion and it would be more sensible to avoid going down the criminal route," the Daily Express quoted a White Hall source, as saying

Critics, however, saw the move as a politically correct attempt to appease extremists who hate Britain, and warned that the move could mean Islamic radicals being give the freedom to encourage violence.

"This sounds like abject surrender. Everyone should be equal in the eyes of the law. They should all face the same risk of prosecution. There should be no special favours or treatment for any section of the community," Tory MP David Davies said.

The move follows an updated Home Office counter-terrorism strategy announced earlier this year.

A Home Office spokesman said: "Preventing people becoming radicalised is a key priority for the Government. The police response needs to be proportionate to deal with crimes people commit while reducing the risk to public safety."

The new strategy is likely to reduce the likelihood of prosecutions against Islamist extremists protesting against troops. (ANI)